FIRST READING
“Behold, the Judge is standing at the doors.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint James (James 5 :9- 12)
Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.
The word of the Lord
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 103:1-2.3-4.8-9. 11-12 (R. 8a)
R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all within me, his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and never forget all his benefits. R/.
It is the Lord who forgives all your sins,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with mercy and compassion. R/.
R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He will not always find fault;
nor persist in his anger forever. R/.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so strong his mercy for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far from us does he remove our transgressions. R?.
ALLELUIA John 17:17 ba
Alleluia. Your word, O Lord, is truth; sanctify us in the truth. Alleluia
GOSPEL
“What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 10:1-12
At that time: Jesus went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
The Gospel of the Lord
TODAY’S REFLECTION
There could be many reasons why marriages fail: infidelity, violence, cheating, lack of love and care, bad company and ill-advice, lack of respect for each other’s dignity, etc. successful marriage must be cultivated; it requires sacrifice and commitment on both sides. Marriage springs from the will of God and is directed towards fulfilling God’s will in creation. For marriage to be successful and fruitful, God must be accorded his place as the Centre of the union. Such a marriage is not immune from conflicts, but there is always a sincere disposition towards one another at good and bad times. With God on their side, couples see each other as treasure beyond price.